Stop Chasing, Start Attracting:

Read time: 4 minutes

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The best sales teams I meet are flat out!
Emails flying out, follow-ups piling up, CRM dashboards glowing red like a Christmas tree in December.
We’re all chasing, and chasing is exhausting.

(If you’ve ever written “just circling back…” and hated yourself a little, you know what I mean.)

But what if we could flip it?
What if, instead of sprinting after prospects like you’re in some weird biotech version of a Benny Hill sketch, they were already halfway towards you?
That’s demand creation.

NOW, I am not saying you shouldn't prospect “cold” prospects, but what if, due to other activity and signals (information and news), they are not cold but lukewarm? They either already know who you are and what you do, or you know something about their intent, and you can align with it.

We Do It Too (Because Pipeline Is Life)

At Succession, we run lead generation campaigns every week – yes, even though we are a lead generation agency. Pipeline build is non-negotiable.

But here’s something that moves the needle for us:
We don’t just appear out of nowhere when we send an email.

• We’re on LinkedIn.

• We have a podcast.

• You’re reading our newsletter right now.

• We look for triggers to know where you are in your buying cycle.
  

So when we finally send that outbound message, people already know us. They’ve seen our name, they’ve read our stuff, maybe even rolled their eyes at one of our jokes. And that means we’re not strangers.
We’re already “that team that shares useful stuff about sales in life sciences.” Hopefully, we have even built some trust and credibility,

So when we ask for a chat, we’re not dragging a cold, confused prospect to the starting line; they’re already warmed up and curious.

But I don't have control of marketing!!!!

Now, I know what you’re thinking:
“Lovely for you, mate, but I’m a sales rep, not the CEO. I can’t just start a podcast and call it Tuesday”. True. But here’s the secret: you don’t need a marketing department to create demand.

You’ve got something just as powerful (and possibly scarier): your own LinkedIn profile.

Personal brand and credibility are much more potent than corporate brand, especially for the little guys, and you know it, because your LI and other platforms are full of influencers and KOLs, not company pages, and that's because those companies know that personalities associated with brands are currently more powerful than brands posting themselves. 

How to Create Demand as Just… You
Here’s how to do it without a marketing budget, a designer, or begging your boss for permission:

1. Post 3X  a week.
   Not “buy my product” posts. Something useful. Share a customer insight, a lesson from your week, or a “did you know this saves scientists three hours a day” type nugget.
   

2. Comment like a human.
   Scientists (and buyers in general) post about interesting stuff. Read it, comment on it. No pitching. Just be present.
   

3. Follow where they are.
   Join groups, follow hashtags, hang around where your buyers hang around. If you’re invisible, you can’t be memorable.
   

4. Put something useful on your profile.
   A pinned post, a resource, or even just a clear summary of how you help. Something that screams, “This person knows what they’re talking about.”
   

5. Be consistent.
   You don’t need to go viral. You need to keep showing up, so when they do need someone like you, your name’s already top of mind.
   

6. Be a guest on a podcast.
   Hit us up if you want to be on ours.
   

What Happens When You Do This
Two things:

1. Your outbound calls feel less forced because prospects already know who you are.

2. Occasionally (and this is the magical part), they come to you first.
   And honestly? That’s the best kind of lead.
   
   The kind where you’re not trying to educate or create awareness, they’re already halfway bought in because they’ve seen you add value before you even asked for a meeting.

Quick Challenge for This Week:

• Write one LinkedIn post about something you learned from a customer.

• Comment on three posts from your target audience.

• Review your LI to see if your page will convert- If you want a ChatGPT prompt that will do this for you, message me on LI (or comment on a post of mine)
  
  You’ll be amazed at how fast “chasing” turns into “attracting”.
  Plus, you get to delete “just circling back…” from your vocabulary, which frankly is good for your soul and your outbound
  
  Let me know how you get on?

Apple Podcast | Spotify | YouTube

• This episode is all about sales coaching and how to improve your team's skills.

1. Lead Generation: We’ll build target lists, write scientifically relevant messaging, and send messages on your behalf to book qualified sales meetings with biotech and pharma companies.

2. Training for Reps: A skill development platform for life science sales reps who want to improve their sales skills, exceed their quota, and take the next step in their career.

3. Training for Teams: If you want to upskill your team around prospecting, driving to close, key account management, AI, or any other topic, we can put together a training plan specific to your organization’s needs.

4. Strategy Call: Need more than training? Want help implementing and executing your sales strategy? In a 30-minute call, we will assess your company’s current situation and identify growth opportunities.